Washoku Day

What Is Washoku Day?

November 24 is "Washoku Day" (Japanese Cuisine Day). It was established by the Japanese Food Culture National Council (abbreviated Washoku Council), a general incorporated association, and is certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association. The date is a wordplay: "ii" (11), "ni" (2), "hon-sho-ku" (4) reads as "ii nihon-shoku," or "good Japanese food." The council chose the day because autumn is a harvest season, when festivals across Japan pray for a good harvest the following year, an important time for Japan's food culture. It hopes the day will lead each person to think about washoku every year.

Washoku on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List

On December 4, 2013 (Heisei 25), UNESCO decided to inscribe "Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese" on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The government submitted its application in March 2012, and 1,593 related organizations supported it. The Washoku Council is a group aimed at properly protecting washoku and passing it on to the next generation. On October 22, 2013, before the inscription, the subsidiary body that carries out the preliminary review published its recommendation. The council's related National Washoku Liaison Conference held its 10th exchange meeting, the "1204 Washoku Session," on December 4, 2025.

• Established by: the Japanese Food Culture National Council (Washoku Council)
• Origin of the date: "ii (11) ni (2) hon-sho (4) ku" = "ii nihon-shoku" ("good Japanese food") wordplay
• Intangible Cultural Heritage: "Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese" was inscribed in 2013 (Heisei 25)
• Make-up of the council: many members, including producers, companies, organizations, local governments, regional-cuisine preservation groups, and food-education groups
• Purpose: to look again at Japanese food culture and think about protecting and passing on washoku

Four Features of Washoku, According to the Ministry of Agriculture

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes the inscribed washoku as food customs based on the Japanese disposition to "respect nature," shaped by Japan's varied nature and clear four seasons. It lists four features. The first is a variety of fresh ingredients and respect for their own flavor. The second is nutritional balance built on "ichiju-sansai" (one soup, three dishes), with skillful use of "umami" leading to a diet low in animal fat. The third is expressing nature's beauty and the changing seasons. The fourth is close ties to annual events such as New Year, and it is explained that sharing the gifts of nature and mealtimes has deepened family and community bonds. The Washoku Council also describes it as a food culture that expresses "the beauty of nature" at the table and is tied to annual events and life milestones. November 24 is also "Katsuobushi Day," after dried bonito, an essential ingredient of washoku.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Choose a washoku meal built around rice and soup for lunch or dinner
• Cook a dish with seasonal ingredients
• Look up the regional cuisine of your hometown or a place you visited
• Make dashi stock and use it for miso soup or a clear soup

A Culture at Every Table to Be Proud of

Washoku is not only special dishes but a culture handed down at everyday tables. November 24 is a day to look at seasonal ingredients and regional flavors and appreciate washoku once again.